Monalisa Chinda's ex-editor Kelvin Keshi sues her and Lanre Nzeribe
Compliments of the season. We are solicitors to Mr. Kelvin Keshi and write on his behalf. In view of the unbalanced report of City People Magazine not verifying information before publishing, in disregard of some of the sacrosanct principles of journalism of balance, fairness and objectivity, we hereby state our client's case.
Background:
Kelvin Keshi, who my office represents, was a staff of Genevieve
Magazine. He joined the company in 2008 as a Staff Writer, rose to the
position of Senior Staff Writer and later rose to the position of
Assistant Features Editor. In April, 2013, a former staff of Genevieve
Magazine, one Isaac Oladipupo recommended Kelvin Keshi to Lanre Nzeribe,
MD of Lantana International Lltd. Lanre said his Company wants to go
into lifestyle publication
and wanted Kelvin to resign and be the editor of the magazine. Kelvin
resigned in April, 2013, did the foundational work, including
recruitment of staff and gave general editorial direction to the
proposed magazine.
On the 3rd of
June, 2013, Lantana International Ltd, through Lanre Nzeribe issued him
a three months provisional employment and unilaterally changed the
agreed negotiation to Assistant Editor. He had also deliberately delayed
the appointment letter until Kelvin had started work to reduce the
chances of rejection of the offer, which was a breach of their verbal
agreement. In trying to cover up his gimmick and betrayal of trust, he
promised to make the employment permanent after three months.
But
in the second month Lantana International, publishers of Monalisa
Magazine started owing salary and after extracting enough editorial
contents from Kelvin Keshi, announced to workers that the magazine was
suspending its editorial unit. That was late August. Two months’ salary
was owed as at this time. No termination was made. Kelvin demanded for
his salary arrears and the company made payment of July salary with a
promise that August salary will be paid later. Monalisa and Lanre then
cut off communication with him, consequent on him going online to report
the injustice meted out on him by the company.
Monalisa
and Lanre, in particular felt offended and using Monalisa as a front as
usual, wrote a letter to the Lagos state police command, alleging that
Kelvin stole the company’s identity card, flash
drive, internet modem and laptop (the laptop Kelvin uses belongs to him
and was bought by him with proof of receipts). It was obviously a
crooked and calculated ploy to turn the disagreement between both
parties on its head and make it appear as a criminal matter so he could
involve the police to harass Kelvin.
He
reported, and one DSP Thompson, whose action and body language portray a
man that has been bought by the ‘couple’ called Monalisa and Lanre ‘my
clients.’ He declared Kelvin guilty while investigation was still
on-going, ordered him to be detained for over 36 hours. As a condition
for his release and payment of his August salary arrears, the said DSP
Thompson instructed retraction of the publication, return of the company
identity card, internet modem and flash drive. All the
conditions were met. But Lanre Nzeribe and Monalisa vowed that the
salary will not be paid. They kept instigating the police to arrest and
charge Kelvin to court for a matter that police have no business with.
IF THERE WAS NO TERMINATION, KELVIN CANNOT BE SAID TO HAVE STOLEN
IDENTITY CARD, MODEM AND FLASH DRIVE THAT WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE
COMPANY.
What
was done was suspension of the editorial department and not termination
of his employment. Monalisa and Lanre also doctored his C.V and claimed
that Kelvin lied that he was the Editor of Genevieve Magazine before he
joined them. Kelvin has never lied about his qualifications or
experience; he lets his work do the rest for him. And why would Monalisa
lie so brazenly and hollowly just to cover her guilt tracks? What
reason does Kelvin have to lie about his qualifications or CV?
Genevieve Magazine’s staff list and the corresponding position is
published on the team list page in every edition. The publisher of
Genevieve Magazine is her friend and adopted mentor, so DID THEY (she
and Lanre) NOT MAKE THEIR INDEPENDENT FINDINGS BEFORE EMPLOYING HIM?
Lanre
and Monalisa also doctored the employment letter as published by City
People Magazine when they removed the name of LANTANA INTERNATIONAL LTD
and published an employment letter without a letterhead. WHAT IS LANRE
NZERIBE HIDDING? IS LANTANA INTERNATIONAL LICENSED TO GO INTO
PUBLISHING?
In view of the fact that the police is delving into a pure civil matter and the failure of the police to act on our petition of
22nd October, 2013 to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos
State, against the actions, conduct and utterances of DSP Thompson,
leader of the investigating team, we went to court for the court to
determine if the matter is a civil matter or a criminal matter and
whether suspension is the same thing as termination. The matter comes up
on the 16th of January, 2014.
Monalisa
also granted and interview to City People last week where she alleged
amongst other that Kelvin Keshi is not a qualified journalist. While we
will address the defamatory angle next year at the high court, we want
to also make clear some facts in response to Monalisa’s malicious but
comical and empty lies in the said interview.
Kelvin
has a degree (HND) in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic,
Auchi; and has distinguished himself in his field of expertise since his
undergraduate days. While at school, he was the editor of a campus
magazine. At the NYSC camp after graduation in Obubra, Cross River
State; he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Orientation Broadcasting
Service (OBS). With an excellent track record at the camp, the NYSC
state secretariat ensured he was posted to the Cross River Broadcasting
Service (CRBC), Calabar strictly on merit. He was the President of the
Publicity CDS Group and Editor-in-Chief of the NYSC Passing Out
magazine.
On
completion of NYSC, Kelvin worked as Reporter/Researcher with the News
Magazine;was Editor of Genexx Magazine; and was Staff Writer, Senior
Staff Writer and Assistant
Features Editor at Genevieve Magazine in less than three years. He has authored two novelettes, Bukky and Friends; and Agu, the son of the gods –
which are both highly rated and gradually making inroads in the
literature market. So what qualifications was Monalisa talking about?
Lastly,
she made an amusing claim when she said they ‘helped’ Kelvin by hiring
him. That was the height of clannishness. On the contrary, it was Kelvin
who ACTUALLY did Lanre and Monalisa a huge favour by agreeing to lend
his knowledge, skills and experience to them in laying the foundation of
the place. Kelvin insists Lanre and Monalisa had no clue about how to
achieve what they wanted until he gave the blueprint, editorially and
administratively.
Monalisa
Chinda ordinarily ought to be a role model to her 'fans.' Why would
she delve into fabrication of documents, criminal distortion of truth by
giving police false information, and defaming on the pages of the media
the reputation and integrity of a well qualified journalist by calling
him half-baked and unqualified? The courts will decide.
Let us also state here that with regard to the ‘office romance’ Monalisa kept harping on in her desperate attempt to clean up her mess, the lady in question was only a colleague and is still a friend of Kelvin Keshi. Kelvin has a fiancée who is also a close friend of the lady. That is where it ends. Monalisa attempts on this are too tame and inconsequential. No need to dissipate further energy on this point.
Category: ex-editor, Kelvin Keshi, Lanre Nzeribe, Monalisa Chinda, sues
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